The second Google Hangout Medical Neuroscience 2016 took place on March 3rd 2016.
Again a good and informative session where students grasped the opportunity to interact with prof. White.
Alzheimer’s disease
The Hangout starts with questions from Rafael Medina from Brazil on Alzheimer’s disease. Aerobic fitness might give some protection against developing the disease. There is evidence that Alzheimer’s is not really a disease later in life but is in fact a lifelong disease. The immune system could play an important role in the disease.
Motor memory
Aayush had questions on amnesia in relation to procedural memory. People with memory loss can sometimes still perform motor tasks. Is it possible to lose motor memory while you think you can still perform a motor activity? Damage to the cerebellum could affect coordination but that could not erase the memory for, by example, playing the piano. Motor memory is widely distributed in the brain it seems unlikely that motor memory alone could be affected without the damage of motor performance.
Dreams
Rafael Medina wanted to know more of the neuroscience of dreams. Dreams occur in REM sleep when the cortex is active. The triggers to dreams are not clear, maybe the visual system is important in this. We learn while we sleep maybe that has an adaptive role.
Addiction
Hadi is interested in addiction and wants to know more about its place in the course. Addiction is in Unit 6: Cognition and elements of the important circuitry can be found in Unit 4: Motor Systems. The Course Medical Neuroscience will be revised and the attention addiction will receive in the next edition will be expanded.
Connected brains?
Bilal from Pakistan wants to know if his and his brothers brain are somehow connected. Prof. White explains there is no neurophysiological connection. Non-verbal communication between familiar persons could be the clue, Bilal and his brother are constantly predicting each other.
Applying to medical school
Mario, an international students, seeks tips for when applying to medical school. There is a bias to students that have permanent residence in the U.S.A. It is not impossible for not resident students but a good academic preparation is needed with an excellent MCAT (Medical College Admission Test), distinction by research and exposure to the health care professional environment are also important.
Neuro-enhancement and neuroplasticity
Danny from Kenia wants to hear more on the relation between neuro-enhancement and neuroplasticity. Mechanisms of neuroplasticity are modulated by different biochemical and cell signalling pathways. Pharmaceutical agents that enhance a plastic response are likely to be discovered and this is discussed.
Imaging methods in Neuroscience
Narayan from Finland raises the topic of imaging methods in neuroscience. Much methods now are quite indirect. Connectivity studies are statistical methods correlation activity. Functional connectivity may not be a very good term to describe this it suggests anatomical connections underlying signaling that are possibly not there. Prof. White also discusses epilepsy and resting state networks with Narayan. The featured video ‘Picture of a thought’on page General Resources of the Virtual Lab gives more information on two imaging methods.
Concepts of Brain Development
Grace from Denmark asks Prof. White to explain concepts of brain development. Prof. White explains that brain development is often seen in the light of nature and nurture. Nature in this approach is connected to genetic specifications. Nurture has to do with experience, actions and the interaction between organism and environment. There are patterns in the natural world not specified by genes or shaped by experience, they simply self organize. These patterns also occur in neuroscience, self organization shapes structures and activities in the nervous system too.
Differences between male and female brains.
Marina raises the point of differences between male and female brains. Prof. White emphasis that those differences are on a continuum, gender differences in a continuum of brain architecture. Differences in quantitative emphasis not so much qualitative opposition.
Fatigue
Ariane from France wants to learn about fatigue from a neurological perspective, is there a nervous fatigue (different from physical fatigue)?. Prof. White answer is that there is a fatigue different from the fatigue experienced during the cycle of sleep and wakefulness, normal tiring. Prof. White discusses nervous fatigue.